Recently at FTW Games we had to get a lot of terrain made up for our 40k RTT. Fortunately the local gaming club, Stony Point Refugees, had a bunch of Cities of Death buildings assembled. So I opted for the quick and easy route and based them all with Foamboad (also known as Foamcore).
Why Foamboard? Well two reasons, I was on a schedule, and it was cheap. While I would have rather made the bases out of Masonite, the stuff clipboards are made out of, but the problem was that it requires power tools to cut and to sand down the edges. With time running out and outside temperatures over 100 degeress I opted to stay indoors and keep the fuss to a minimum.
We set up a ad hoc assembly line with me in the middle cutting up the foam core bases for the buildings that had been touched up/ reassembled. Then the buildings went down the line to be glued down and based.
How I worked it was I would trace a rough pattern around the building as close as possible to the walls. Keep in mind that over time the board will warp up around the edges, so you don’t want a huge lip hanging off per ce cause that will bow up and look dumb after awhile.
Another thing to keep in mind is when you trace you need to make you pattern inversely. So say your pattern is longer on the left side then the right, you should make your pattern the inverse of that- it should be larger on the right.
Did I lose you? Its okay here’s why you want to do that. For the next step you are going use you hobby knife to cut into the foam at a 45 degree angle tracing your pattern. When you are done cutting flip your base over and viola a beveled base in the shape of your building!
Now all that is left is to glue down the building (I recommend using hot glue here), and painting the lip of exposed foam to prevent it from disintegrating when you primer the building. You can texture the base before or after you prime the building, just work smart and don’t spray over any completed work.
Viola building bases quick and easy.
What do you think? Masonite or Foamboard? -MBG
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
